DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - The hits keep on coming for the Rangers bullpen as the club's president of baseball operations, Jon Daniels, announced Monday that hard-throwing right-hander Jonathan Hernandez underwent Tommy John surgery and will be out until sometime in 2022.
It's a tough blow for the Rangers as they have already lost closer Jose Leclerc to Tommy John surgery before the season began.
The club had previously expressed hope that a procedure would be avoidable but Daniels said Hernandez was still experiencing discomfort in his pitching elbow after being shut down for four weeks, making a surgery necessary.
After Hernandez and LeClerc went down, the Rangers were forced to turn to Matt Bush and Ian Kennedy at the back of the bullpen. Kennedy, a late spring training invitee, has performed well in limited action as the team's closer.
Meanwhile, Bush has allowed a solo home run in all three of his appearances. And today's news may be an indication of why he's struggled so much, as the Rangers announced that he will miss a minimum of 12 weeks with a flexor tendon strain in his right arm.
Daniels also announced that rookie Josh Jung is hoping to return to play is at the end of May or beginning of Early June after he suffered a stress fracture in his foot. The former first-round pick won't immediately start playing with the Rangers but he's expected to get called up to the big league club at some point this season.
Daniels also said that designated hitter Khris Davis is two weeks away from a return to the field, while Willie Calhoun will join the club's alternate site in the next 48 hours with an eye on a return in the near future.
